The Thorborne family name is linked to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name comes from the baptismal name for the son of Thurburn. This ancient personal name was originally derived from the name of the Saxon God of Thunder, Thor. After the Norman Conquest, the Old English naming system gradually dissolved. Old English names became less common and were replaced by popular continental European names. The earliest surnames in England were found shortly after the Norman Conquest and are of Norman French rather than native English origins.

Early Origins of the Thorborne family

The surname Thorborne was first found in Norfolk where Thomas filius Thurbernus (Turberni) was listed 1153-1186. A few years later, Richard Turbern was listed in the Feet of Fines in 1198 and later, Richard Thurubern was listed at Ely in Norfolk in 1277. The name may have been listed in the Domesday Book as Thurbernus, Turbern and Torbern, [1]CITATION[CLOSE]Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X) but it from the Norfolk branch that seems the most prevalent in these early years. In Sussex, the name claims descendancy from Thunder (Thor) or Thunder's Hill at Chittingly. Thor was the name of the ancient Saxon God of Thunder.

Early History of the Thorborne family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Thorborne research.Another 99 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1197, 1273, 1327, 1607, 1688, 1656 and 1659 are included under the topic Early Thorborne History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Thorborne Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Thorborne include Thorburn, Thurburn, Thurbrand, Torburn and others.

Early Notables of the Thorborne family (pre 1700)

Another 19 words (1 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Thorborne Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Thorborne family to the New World and Oceana

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Thorborne were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: William Thorburn arrived in Virginia in 1716.